


My Wildest Dreams

by Deansthedoctornow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10132280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deansthedoctornow/pseuds/Deansthedoctornow
Summary: 20 years.20 Long years since the day Keith's whole life got turned upside down. He lost everything that day in a single moment. Now, sitting on his couch trying to ignore the celebrations going on outside his window, he receives a crytpic message from someone he hasn't seen in years. A message that turns his whole world upside down again and makes his wildest dream come true.But it isn't what he wanted. Not even close.





	1. Chapter 1

Keith sat alone on the couch in his living room. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, his apartment was dark and dimly light. The heavy curtains that covered the windows had been pulled shut, with only a sliver of light trickling in at the bottom. A single lamp was turned on, and even then it's weak glow barely penetrated the room. 

He could hear the crowds outside of his window cheering loudly. It was the 20th anniversary of their Return, of the Battle of the Lion. The day the Galra had come out of nowhere and had almost destroyed everything. The Day Voltron had finally finished saving the galaxy and had returned to earth Triumphant. Keith clenched his hand into a fist at the obvious joy coming from the crowd. It was too loud- he couldn't hear the news on the TV in front of him. He reached over and grabbed the remote off of the side table, accidentally knocking over a dust covered photograph. It hit the floor with a dull thud. 

“Aw fuck,” Keith swore with a sigh.He leaned down and picked it up, turning it over in his hands. His heart stopped when he saw the smiling faces of his old teammates.

Shiro and Matt were standing off to the side next to Allura and Coran. Shiro had his arm around Matt’s waist, and Keith could just barely make out the tiny golden rings on their fingers. Pidge was standing next to her brother, making a face at the married couple's PDA. Their glasses were all fogged up, and their hair was standing up in a mess. Hunk was laughing, his mouth wide open. He had lost a lot of weight in space, his once flabby arms replaced with thick tree trunks of muscle. 

Keith was drawn however, to the edge of the picture where he and Lance stood. They had been so in love, anyone could tell just by looking at the way the pair stood pressed up against each other. Keith was leaning his head on the taller boy’s shoulders. Lance was pressing a small kiss on the top of his head. Keith’s mullet was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and his lips were curled into a small smile of content. His hand was intertwined with Lance’s. This was their only picture together as a team, taken minutes before the Galra attacked and the Battle of the Lions started. Moments before everything changed… 

Keith sighed as he put the picture back and pushed the memory to the back of his mind. He didn't like thinking about that day, about the way Lance locked eyes with him and mouthed I Love You just before he… before he died. Sacrificed himself to save the universe. 

Keith shock his head as he turned the volume up on the news, turning his attention back to the story about some crazy politicians. His favorite reporter, a young asian man with thick rimmed glasses, was on. Suddenly, he was cut off mid sentence by a breaking news report flashing over the screen. A young woman wearing way too much makeup in Keith's opinion took over, filling the screen. 

“This is Rebecca Morris from ABC World News. We are live outside of NYC’s City hall where, for the first time since The Return, a member of the original Voltron team is partaking in the ceremonies.” The camera panned over to a podium that had been set up in front of City Hall. Keith sat up straight, his can of beer hanging limply from his hands. 

“The Former Paladins have not given a public statement since before the Return, and they have not been seen in public since the blue Paladin’s funeral shortly after,” The Lady's voice filled the background as Keith stared at the podium. “The Yellow Paladin will be giving a speech any second.” 

_ Hunk. Of course, _ Keith thought. Hunk had been the most composed one of them all after Lance’s death, becoming the rock the team needed even as he himself was devastated. Made sense then he would be the first one to go back to the public eye.

A hush fell over the crowd on the TV as Keith watched his old teammate cross the stage to the Platform. Hunk looked strong still, but he also looked tired. His hair had started to grey at the middle, as had his own, but it looked strange in Hunk. His boyish face was replaced by that of a man who had seen a war, had seen the death and destruction, and said ‘Never Again.’ It was wrinkled around the edges, but he still was very Hunk like. Keith watched as Hunk grabbed the mike, setting his Paladin helmet down on the Podium. 

“Um, Hi. I'm Hunk. I've not really come to give a speech, I just needed a way to reach out to someone. Keith,” Hunk looked into the camera and Keith could swear Hunk could see him through the screen. “Code Blue. You know where to meet me. Come now.” Hunk nodded and walked off screen. 

The camera panned back to the Lady and she started to say something, but Keith couldn't hear her. The can he was holding slipped out of his hand unnoticed. He just sat there blinking in shock for a couple minutes, reeling in what Hunk had said.  _ Code Blue _ .  _ Meet me now.  _

The paladins had long ago created a code for if one of them was in danger or needed help. Code Blue was Lance’s. Keith never expected to hear those words again. 

_ Meet me now. _ All of a sudden Keith’s eyes went wide. He needed to go  _ now. _ He jumped up off the couch, and ran towards his bedroom. He made a beeline for the closet where he kept It. He opened the door and for the first time since moving in years before looked at his old uniform. It was still covered in the dirt, sweat, and blood from that final battle. He’d never bothered to get it cleaned. 

Keith pulled it from its spot and spent a good 10 minutes swearing and trying to get it to fit. He would never admit it out loud, but he’d gained more than a little bit of weight from lack of exercise and drinking. A lot. Finally though, the last piece slipped on with a click and Keith sighed. It was tighter in some places than he remembered, but not uncomfortably so. He grabbed his bayard from a hidden drawer before deciding to go out of the fire escape into the back alley.

He lifted the window and climbed out. The sunlight was blinding to someone who no longer went outside, and Keith had to take a few minutes to adjust. Once he could see outside without holding his hand over his head he set off, trying hard not to fall as he climbed down the tiny metal ladders to the ground. He had to drop the last couple of feet, landing awkwardly on the ground. 

Here, in the tiny back alley, he was protected from a full view of the parades and the parties happening less than a block away. He could still hear them, of course, but they couldn’t see him. He walked over to a small nondescript door. He pulled out the keys he had remembered to grab before he left the apartment and unlocked it, pushing it completely open to reveal a covered motorcycle.

“Hey Lil’ Red, been a long time now,” he said in a whisper as he pulled the cover off the bike, sending a cloud of dust flying up into the air. 

The beautiful red bike was just the way Keith had remembered it, shiny and looked brand new. Technically it was, considering he had only rode it once or twice. He wheeled it out of the tiny room and paused for a moment to lock the door again behind him before he swung his legs over top. He turned the key in the ignition and the bike roared to life under his hands. He smiled. He had forgotten how much he loved the thrill of a ride. 

Keith shot off like a bullet, flying through back streets and back alleys, trying his hardest to avoid the main streets. He racked his brain, trying to figure out where Hunk wanted him to meet him. They had come up with meetup points in every major city back before the Return, when they had originally come back to earth after they had thought the Galra had been defeated. It hit him when he was forced to leave the back alleys to cross a major street in front of a large statue. He wanted to kick himself.  _ The Memorial. _

Keith swore under his breath. The Memorial was a statue dedicated to the paladins when they first returned and told wonderful stories of their adventures. And of course, it was right in the middle of central park, in the exact opposite direction of where Keith currently was. He made a U turn and sped back the way they came, going as fast as he possibly could to make up for lost time. It took him a good 30 minutes to make it to the street across from Central Park. 

The streets here were jam packed with people dressed up in all types of Paladin Costumes. That was a plus, it meant he wouldn’t stand out. But everyone was so tightly packed together he wouldn’t be able to get his bike through. He sighed and got off, leaning his bike up against a nearby wall. He reached into one of his many different hidden pockets and pulled out a Gravity device that, when activated, makes that object ten times heavier than normal. He bent down and placed it on the front wheel of the bike, locking it in place. No thief would be able to move his bike while he was away. 

He stood up and took a deep breath before heading into the crowd. He was jostled, bumping into a countless number of people. He despised crowded areas, so this was absolute torture. He finally managed to break free of the crowd and brushed himself off. Central Park was full of people, which didn’t surprise Keith in the slightest. He walked cautiously towards the middle of the park, following the paths and trying to keep to himself. 

Keith tried his hardest not to look at the people around him who were dressed up as their favorite members of the team. Many people were dressed up as Shiro in black or Pidge in green. But everyone in a while he’d catch someone dressed up as himself or Lance, and he’d feel a huge lump form in his throat. It was pure torture- sometimes, Keith had to remind himself that yes indeed, Lance was dead because he kept seeing flashes of blue out of the corner of his eyes. 

Keith breathed a sigh of relief as he finally spotted the Memorial in front of him. He picked up the pace, breaking into a sprint in order to make it there. He saw a couple of costumed people standing around the base of the statue, admiring the plaque and the larger than life paladins standing back to back in battle formation. He stopped a couple feet away, breathing heavily from the strain of running in the heavy armour and leaned up against a tree. 

“You came,” a voice from behind him caught Keith off guard and he jumped in surprise. He whipped around to see Hunk and Pidge standing behind him. 

Hunk elbowed Pidge playfully in the side. “You owe me ten bucks. Told ya he’d come.” Pidge grumbled as they forked over a ten dollar bill. 

Keith just stood there, frozen. Even though they had asked him to come, he still wasn’t prepared for the sight of his old friends. Hunk still towered over him. Pidge was as skinny as ever, and they’d cut off most of their hair into a short cropped cut. 

“I um,” Keith stammered. He wasn't sure what he should say, considering how much time had passed and their last meeting hasn't been exactly friendly. 

“It's good to see you, Keith,” Hunk said as he enveloped him Ima full body hug. “It's been too long.” Hunk pulled away and held Keith at arms length, taking him in. “You know, never thought I'd see the day Keith, Mr. Never Stops Training, would show up with a beer belly.” He teased, lightly poking Keith’s flabby stomach. 

Pidge snickered from behind the pair and Keith shot them a glare from around Hunk’s massive arms. “I um, I kinda stopped working out after everything.” he mumbled as an excuse. Eager to change the subject, he took a step back out of Hunk’s grasp. 

“So, what’s going on?” Keith asked, still trying to get adjusted to the whole situation. “Why did you call me with Lance’s code?” 

Hunk shook his head. “We can’t talk about it here. Follow me, let’s go somewhere more private.” Hunk turned and started walking away with Pidge and Keith in tow.

“So, um, Pidge, what have you been up to?” Keith asked trying to fill the awkward silence between them. The younger person looked over at Keith through thick glasses with a slight crack at the bottom.

“Well, After you stormed out of the funeral I went back into space with Allura, Coran, Hunk and Shay for a couple years. Saw technology we could only dream about here on earth. But after a while, I got tired of seeing different faces day in and day out, so when we were in the system I asked to be dropped off back home. Lived with Matt and Shiro for about a year before I got myself a job teaching at the Garrison. That was about… 10 years ago?” Pidge said, trying hard to remember.

“The Garrison? What’d you teach?”

Pidge’s chest swelled with Pride. “Alien Diplomacy, Alien Technology, and a History of Voltron. My classes are the most popular at the Garrison.” They paused for a moment, and then sighed. “Or at least, they were until about a month ago when I quit. I couldn’t read any more papers about Lance’s Sacrifice. So I found moved in with Hunk.” 

Keith nodded. He understood the not being able to take it. That’s why he didn’t have any job. Too many questions. 

“What about you? What have you been up to?” Pidge asked back. Keith sighed. 

“Well, I traveled the states trying to get my head wrapped around the fact Lance was gone and was never coming back. Spent a good 5 years seeing everything, trying to forget. Everywhere I went people found me, asked me questions. When I showed up here in New York City, I got wasted one night and managed to stumble myself to the doorstep of a tiny apartment building with a mostly blind elderly landlady, Mrs. Mullins,” Keith smiled a little at the memory of Mrs. Mullins.

“She didn’t ask any questions. Gave me a whole floor of an apartment building for dirt cheap, as long as I took care of her. She died about 6 years ago, and I took over the building.” Keith sighed again. (Old people sigh a lot.) “Truth be told I’m a recovering alcoholic. Couldn’t keep any other kind of job.”

Pidge put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tight, their form of comfort. Keith placed his hand over theirs and smiled weakly. They were out of the Park Now, and were jostling through the crowd. Keith held tightly onto Pidge’s hand, not wanting to get lost. 

Soon, they left the crowd and walked side by side down an alleyway. “So, Hunk, what about you, man?”

Hunk smiled. “Well, Shay and I got married. Traveled the Universe. Unfortunately, she died in an accident 9 years ago when her suit malfunctioned while she was doing repairs on the Castle. I kept going, though. I only came back to Earth about a year ago. Allura said there was some kind of disturbance coming from here.”

Keith frowned. “What kind of disturbance?”

“You’ll find out in a couple of minutes. Here,” Hunk stopped in front of a small grimy door. He fished into his pocket and pulled out a key that looked tiny compared to Hunk’s massive giant paws. He unlocked the door and lead the way inside. 

Keith was surprised at the size and cleanliness of the room they were in. “Is this your place?” he asked in awe, admiring how the floors shined as if they had been freshly waxed. 

Hunk nodded. “Kinda. It’s the Altean Embassy, so it’s basically a mini Castle. I’m staying here for now, since Allura and Coran are out there traveling.” 

The whole floor looked exactly like the main command room in the Castle. It had massive screens covering all the walls, broadcasting different live feeds from space. Some where scenes of the interior of the castle, others were of the castle’s surroundings. Currently, it appeared the Castle was in orbit around a yellowish pink planet. Keith could just make out two moons on one of the other panels. 

“Neato, huh?” Hunk said, voice full of pride. 

“Yeah yeah yeah, the coolest. And who built the tech?” Pidge said rolling their eyes. Keith couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Hunk and Pidge start shoving each other playfully, which lead to non playful shoving, which lead to hunk accidentally sending Pidge sprawling.

“Alright, alright, c’mon guys,” Keith said, trying to regain his composure. “Hunk, now will you tell me why I’m here? You said it was a Code Blue.” 

Hunk immediately sobered up. He reached out a hand and pulled Pidge up from the floor. “There’s something I need to show you. Remember how I mentioned a disturbance? Well, about two days ago we found it, and, well…” Hung trailed off as he lead Keith to a large staircase. 

“I told Hunk we needed you before we did anything else. SHiro and Matt are on their way here as we speak,” PIdge interjected. 

“Must be something really bad if you’re calling all of us in.” Keith said. His calves burned a little from lack of use as they walked down a long hallway. 

Hunk stopped in front of a plain white door, and turned to face Keith. His massive frame took up most of the hallway, so it was quite a sight to see him maneuver in it. If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Keith might have been half tempted to laugh. However, one look at Hunk’s face told him not to. 

“Keith, I have to warn you. What’s inside this room… this is going to change everything,” Hunk warned, “We don’t know the full story as to why now of all times, so please, try not to freak out…” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Hunk, please, lay off the theatrics. I promise, I’m not going to freak out. I’m a grown ass man, not some punk teenager who hadn’t held a dead body before. Nothing can surprise me now.”

Hunk and Pidge shared another knowing look and Hunk sighed. “Alright, whatever you say. But I warned you,” Hunk turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open gently. 

Of course, Keith freaked out.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wha-wh-whe-gah!” Keith sputtered, eyes growing wide in shock. He felt as if his whole world was turned upside down. He stood there, gaping. Behind the plain door was an even plainer white room with a single table in the middle. Laying on top of it was an unmoving figure. A figure who just so happened to be clad head to toe in filthy blue armour. 

“Oh my god… is that who I think… Hunk?” A million things were running through Keith's mind as he tried to process the scene in front of him. 

Somewhere in the distance, Keith heard Pidge whisper “5 bucks” to Hunk, but he wasn’t paying attention. No, the boy in the middle of the room held that honor. Keith took a hesitant step forward, than another, and before he could blink he was standing besides the bed looking down at the helmeted figure. 

He tentatively reached out a hand as if to touch the helmet, rip if off to see who lay beneath, but his hand faltered midair. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to know who was behind the helmet. 

He felt a warm presence behind him, and a hand on his shoulder. “Do you think it’s really him?” Keith whispered. He didn’t want to say it too loudly, because that would mean this was happening, that this was real. 

“It’s possible,” Hunk said just as softly. “It would explain why we never found a body.”

“How?”

“Keith, we don’t know. All I know is I was scanning the atmosphere last night and I saw something crashland about 100 miles outside of the city. Pidge and I drove out their immediately, and we found a piece of the Blue Lion.” Hunk said. “We didn’t want to take the helmet off without you, in case…” He trailed off, leaving their hopes unsaid. “Are you ready?”

Keith closed his eyes for a moment, trying to contain the spark of hope he had tried so long ago to bury. “Yes,” he breathed, so faintly he had to say it again. “Yes, please, just make it quick.” _ I don’t think I could wait any longer, no matter who was underneath. _

Pidge reached down and pressed a small button on the bottom of the helmet near the chin. It released with a satisfying  _ click _ . “You wanna do the honors, Keith?” Pidge asked, taking a step back to allow him access. 

Keith reached out a trembling hand and grabbed the bottom of the helmet. He closed his eyes and lifted the helmet off with ease. He gasped, and stepped back in shock, the helmet slipping from his hands and clanging harshly against the floor.

There, unconscious, barely breathing, was Lance. His Lance. Still as young and unwrinkled as the last time Keith had seen him. Everything Keith had ever hoped for, every emotion he had tried to suppress came bubbling back up. He wasn't sure if he should cry or be upset or relieved. 

Keith was frozen in the moment. He couldn't move, didn't dare to even try. He had dreamed of Lance being alive, coming home to him for 20 years. But now that it was actually happening…

“I can't believe it's him,” Hunk whispered. He was just as in shock as Keith. “I mean, it's so impossible…”

Just then, Lance’s eyes started to flutter. “He's waking up,” Pidge observed. They looked at Keith. “You should be the first thing he sees, you know. He's going to be so con-” 

“No.” Keith heard himself say as if he were far away or underwater. “No.” 

Pidge cocked their head in disbelief, as if trying to make sense of what he had just said. “What? No what?” 

“I-I can't,” Keith barely managed to choke out the words. “I'm so sorry.” With that, he turned and ran out of the room, tears streaming down his face. 

He heard Hunk calling after him, but he didn't stop running. He couldn't. He was still trying to get his head wrapped around the idea that Lance was here, was actually alive. Keith had spent years trying to get over him, trying to move on knowing he'd never see Lance again. He's become an alcoholic, locked himself away from a world that didn't seem to understand. He couldn't go through that again. 

Keith found a door that was slightly ajar and raced inside, shutting the door behind him. He leaned his back against the smooth surface of the door as he slid to the ground, his armour chaffing in weird places. And then Keith  _ cried _ . Not the pretty, ‘The Love of My Life Has Returned’ type crying, but the kind that's loud and messy, the kind that left his face red and puffy. 

Keith cried for how he felt watching Lance sacrificing himself. He cried for how he couldn't cry at the funeral because he was still in a state of shock and denial. He cried for the years he spent hating himself for not stopping Lance from sacrificing himself. He cried for the time he got admitted to the ER because he drank too much and almost died. He cried for all those nights spent cursing the world, the stupid Lions, the Galra, himself. He cried for the way he felt when he saw Lance laying there just now. He could feel his body shaking with his loud sobs. And he  _ hated _ it. 

Keith didn't know how much time he spent sitting there sobbing. After a while, his loud sobs turned to smaller ones, and then stopped all together. He uncurled himself from the ball he had fallen into, and leaned his head back against the door. He focused on steadying his breathing in an attempt to calm himself down. He knew he couldn't stay there for forever; Hunk and Pidge would come looking for him soon enough, demanding an explanation he didn't want to give. 

Keith jumped as someone knocked on the door. “Keith?” Hunks muffled voice floated in from the hallway. “Can I come in?” 

Keith nodded, and then realised Hunk couldn't see him. He backed away from the door and turned the handle, allowing Hunk to slip inside. 

“I left Pidge with him. Figured they look mostly the same, so He’d feel the most comfortable with them.” Hunk said, coming to sit next to Keith. “I know how you're feeling, Keith, because I feel it too.” He said quietly, looking straight ahead. 

“Hunk…” Keith started, but was cut off with a shake of Hunk’s head. 

“Keith, I know you're confused, and you're hurting. So am I. I mean; my best friend died and came back to life looking like no time passed.” Hunk turned to look Keith in the eye. “And while I want to sit here and cry, scream, so something, I know I've gotta be there for Lance. We need to figure out why he's here, why now. How he survived.” 

Keith broke Hunks gaze and turned his head to study the floor. Hunk continued, his words ringing true in Keith’s head. “Keith, he needs us. He needs  _ you. _ ” 

Keith sighed. “You're right. But Hunk, I can't.” 

“Can't, or won't?” 

Hunks words were cold and harsh, and Keith could feel his eyes burning into the back of Keith's skull. 

“I'm not going to drag you from this room, Keith. But Lance is awake now. He asked for you, you know. We haven't told him anything yet. Wanted to leave that job to you.” Hunk stood up, and gave Keith one last look before crossing back to the door. “He needs you, Keith. He needs you now more than you've ever needed him.” 

And with that, Hunk was gone. Keith sighed before he stood up to follow him. He would never admit it out loud, but Hunk was right. He needed to face this; needed to acknowledge it. 

It took way less time for Keith to find his way back to the room then he had anticipated. He paused outside the door, listening to Pidges voice from inside. 

“...aren't allowed to get out of bed. We don't know how injured you are. And no, you aren't allowed to argue with me, Mister.” 

“Aw come on Pidge, can't I just stretch my legs a little?” Keith almost falls over. Hearing Lance’s voice just makes it so…  _ Real _ . He almost turned to run away again, but then he heard Lance ask, “Where's Keith?” With such emotion in his voice he can't. 

Keith took a deep breath before stepping into the door frame. “I'm right here, Lance.” The words catch in his throat, sound foreign to say. 

Lance was facing away from the door, and he whipped around at Keith’s voice. His eyes went wide with joy, and a huge smile crept onto his face. “Keith!” He said, turning around. His joy lasted for only a moment, his face falling into one of confusion when he saw Keith. 

“Dude, what happened to you? You look… Old.” Lance said.  _ Was that repulsion?  _ Keith couldn't tell. 

“Well, I…” 

Pidge cleared their throat. “I'm just gonna leave now, let Keith explain to you what you missed…” before Keith could protest Pidge was running out the door and shutting it, leaving Keith alone with Lance. 

“Traitor,” Keith murmured in disgust. 

“Keith, what did Pidge mean ‘I missed?’” Lance’s eyes, his beautiful eyes met Keith’s hardened ones. They were searching for answers. 

Keith sighed and moved to sit next to Lance on the bed. He was close enough now he could feel the heat radiating off of Lance’s body. Something's never changed. 

“Lance, I- I don't know how to explain this to you nicely so I'll just be blunt about it, ok?” He said, staring at his hands rather than at the boy he once loved. “What's the last thing you remember?” 

Lance thought for a moment. “I remember there being a surprise Galra attack. I remember flying with Blue. And I remember Pidge saying something about green Kool-Aid? And then… nothing.” 

Keith nodded slightly.  _ Great. Nothing. _ “That was the Battle of the Lions. We were fighting a huge amount of fleets, controlled by one central command ship. We were losing the battle, and-” he took a deep breathe. “You sacrificed yourself to save us all. You drove Blue into the main reactor core of the Commandership.”  He risked looking over at Lance, and saw the younger boy looking down at his hands trying to process everything. 

“I- but that doesn't explain why you look like this, Keith.” Lance said reaching up to lightly brush Keith’s greying hair, “Your hair… Keith, babe, what happened?”

Keith sighed at the touch, so foreign yet so… familiar. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he couldn't NOT tell him. “Lance, that battle was 20 years ago,” he whispered. 

Lance's eyes went wide with shock. “Twen-twenty years? That can't be possible…” he reached over and grabbed a metal plate lying on the side table. He stared at his reflection. “But if it's twenty years, then why do I look the same?” 

He looked back at Keith, trying to find reassurance, but Keith can't offer it. “I- we don't know. There's something else, Lance, something else you need to know.” Keith couldn't look at Lance anymore. Couldn't bare to see the look on his face when he told him. 

“Lance, when you flew into the reactor there was a huge explosion. Destroyed the whole fleet, you glory hogging hero,” he tried to lighten the mood with a light joke that fell flat. 

“But?” 

“But,” Keith sighed, “we couldn't find you. We thought you were dead, Lance. For twenty years, I thought you were dead.” His voice cracked as he made it personal. This was hard, and Keith thought he'd feel upset about it. Instead, he just felt angry. 

Lance had been perfectly fine the whole time. And Keith had gone through hell and had just recently come back, and Lance was-  _ Lance.  _ He didn't mean to be angry. But he couldn't stop himself. 

“Do you know what happened those twenty years, Lance?” Keith said, voice getting low and dangerous. “I suffered everyday knowing the man I had loved was dead. Had sacrificed himself to save me. Do you know what that was like?” His voice was getting louder with every word. 

The spite, the hurt in his voice was laced with anger. He turned to look back at Lance, and he noticed a tear dancing at his eye. He could've- _ should've-  _ stopped, but he didn't. He pressed on, letting his emotions flow freely. 

“I mourned for you! For years I couldn't close my eyes without seeing your face as you looked me in the eyes, told me you loved me, then blew up!” Keith stood up, towering over his once beloved. “I hated myself for years! I drank myself into the hospital, got banned from almost every bar in New York. I can't hold a job, I don't go outside. And now you're here? I wasted twenty years of my life and it's all your-”

“KEITH! Stand down!” Hunks booming voice filled the room. Keith took a step back, his head clearing almost instantly. He had been so engaged in his anger, he hadn't noticed when the door slid open. 

Hunk moved to the bed, where Lance was clutching the metal plate to his chest and silently sobbing. Hunk sat down next to him and Lance instantly folded himself into Hunks arms, crying to his chest. Keith stared at Lance as if seeing him for the first time, and it dawned on him that  _ he  _ had done this. 

“Oh gods, Lance, I-I’m so sorry, I-l” Hunk shot him a look. 

“Keith, why don't you go find Pidge and put together a collage so we can catch Lance up on what happened.” Hunk suggested flatly. 

“Y-yes of course,” Keith stammered. He ran out of the room without a second glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll try to update within the next week. -T


	3. Chapter 3

_ God why am I so stupid? It's not Lance’s fault, not really.  _ Keith berated himself as he ran down the hallway, his feet pounding into the carpet. He knew he shouldn’t have gone off like that, and he regretted it. He felt his face flushing red as he turned corner after corner, losing himself in the maze of hallways and his own feelings. He kept replaying the conversation in his mind- how he saw Lance cry but didn’t stop, how angry Hunk looked at him while he was comforting Lance.

He turned another corner and smacked into a brick wall. Or rather, a person built like a brick wall. He and the unknown person tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs and curse words. Keith was faintly aware of a second person looming over them, laughing hysterically.

“Oh my gosh I-” Keith started until he realized who the brick wall was. “Shiro!” He flung his arms around the older man’s neck in a hug. 

“Hey! Watch it Keith, don’t try to get too handsy with my husband or else I’ll be forced to get physical,” Matt joked, bent over from laughing so hard at the two of them. 

Shiro scoffed loudly. “You? Physical? The last time you did anything physical was when you lifted that suitcase and threw your back out.” Keith pulled away and smiled at the familiar shine in Shiro’s eyes as he laughed. 

Matt sputtered. “No fair! We can’t all be body builders, you know.” He stuck his tongue out at his husband before leaning down to help both men to their feet. 

“It’s good to see you too, Matt.” Keith hugged him briefly, more courtesy than actual affection like it had been for Shiro. “Sorry for knocking you over, Ol’ Man.”

“Who are you calling old?” Shiro knocked into Keith’s shoulder lightly. Out of all the Paladins, Shiro was probably the most changed. His hair was white now and no longer had to be dyed. He was still drool worthy, and it was obvious that he still worked out regularly. The wrinkles around his eyes were new and foreign, coming from years of laughing and smiling. What struck Keith the most, however, was how happy Shiro looked. He smiled and laughed freely, all responsibilities lifted. It was a good look on him. 

The cause of Shiro’s happiness was, of course, his husband of 23 years, Matt. Matt’s hair was cut short, and his hairline was receding. His glasses had, like Pidge’s, gotten thicker as his eyesight had worsened over the years. There was no sign of grey in his hair, something Keith was envious of. Like Keith, Matt hadn’t been working out and had gained some weight around his waist. 

“So Keith, got any idea why we’re here? Not that I’m complaining, or anything, but we were in the middle of packing for a trip to Hawaii…” Matt said, “and I don’t know about you, but personally I love a man in a suit.” He winked at Shiro, who started to blush furiously.

“Matt! Stop it you’re embarrassing me,” Shiro muttered affectionately. 

The sight of the two men being so happy and in love was like a knife in Keith’s heart. They didn’t realize how good they had it. He was envious of them and the undying love that passed between them, something he had known once but had lost. Something he would never know again. And that realization sucked. 

Keith sighed, and nodded his head in response to Matt’s previous question. “I think Hawaii’s gonna have to wait, Matt.” Keith said. His heart was pounding in his chest. “We found him. Lance is alive.” 

“Damn. I was really looking forward to that Luau,” Matt muttered, he and Shiro both clearly shocked. 

“Alive?” Shiro muttered, looking at Keith without really seeing him. Keith nodded again, a stiff, robotic like motion. 

“Yes. And he’s not… he didn’t age. At all.” Keith said. Shiro didn’t say anything, just moved forward and wrapped Keith into a tight hug. 

“Why aren’t you with him?” Shiro whispered into Keith’s ear. He didn’t answer. “Please tell me that you didn’t say something stupid.”

Keith pulled out of the hug and looked sheepishly at the ground. “I didn’t say something stupid…” he said unconvingly. Matt threw his arms up into the air in disbelief as Shiro sighed. 

“What did you do…”

Keith filled the couple in on how he cried when he saw Lance and about how upset he had gotten, having to leave the room to cry about it. How when he went back to see him, he had exploded and ended up running out of the room and into Shiro. Matt gave up halfway through, putting his hand on Shiro’s shoulder and whispering “I’m tapping out. Do your Dad thing.” before hurrying off to go find Pidge to catch up. When Keith was finally finished, Shiro let out a really long, disapproving sigh. Keith grit his teeth and prepared himself for the lecture he knew was about to come. 

“Keith, I’m not going to sit here and lecture you. You already know you shouldn’t have done that,” Shiro said. “However, you do need to go and apologize. Lance is probably in shock already, waking up after 20 years. You need to go talk to him again.” 

Keith nodded. “I will, I just- it’s so hard. I don’t know what to say to him anymore.”

“I Understand. But you have to try. Come on, let’s go find him. You need to give him an actual apology and I want to see him.” Shiro said. Keith turned and led Shiro down the halls, however when they reached the room Lance had been kept in it was empty.  

“I swear he was just here…” Keith said, looking at the empty room. “They probably moved him somewhere so I couldn’t find him.” 

“Or so he could get more comfortable. Keith, you’re never going to be ok unless you learn how to forgive yourself for your mistakes.’’ Shiro chastised him. “They probably went to the control room. Or at least Matt probably did, it’s his favorite.” 

The pair set off again, walking in silence until they stumbled into the room Keith had first been led to. Shiro was right- all of them were there, crowding around a control system built like the one on the Castle. Lance had a blanket wrapped tight around his shoulders, and was sitting in the middle of the floor watching the panels as Matt and Pidge flashed different pictures of major world events that had happened since he had disappeared. Hunk was sitting next to Lance, narrating each of the pictures that flashed in front of them. There were pictures of everything, from Hunk and Shay’s wedding to the first Return day Parade, to when the garrison named a wing after them.

Keith and Shiro quietly walked down the golden staircase, coming to stand in the back of the group. Hunk was the first to notice them, and he raised an eyebrow in a ‘better now’ kinda way. Keith nodded in response, and Hunk smiled. He gestured at the ground on the opposite side of Lance, inviting Keith to join them. Keith cautiously crossed to room and took a seat. Lance looked at him for a moment, just to see who it was before turning his attention back to the screen. 

A new picture popped up, a picture of Pidge and Hunk on a faraway planet. “Remember this place?” Hunk said, smiling. “It’s the land part of that mermaid planet we went to that one time.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, best underwater kiss ever!” 

Another picture- one that made Keith jump a little in surprise- popped up. It was him, standing in front of the Battle of the Lions memorial in Washington, DC, on the day of it’s dedication. This was the last public event he had been to, the last picture of taken of him.

“Keith, you wanna explain this one?” Hunk asked. Keith nodded. 

“Sure. Well, this is of me from year 5. They had just finished construction of a monument to us, to your sacrifice. I just happened to be in DC, and decided to stop by. They got the details of the Lions almost perfect.” He smiled, then faltered. “You can’t tell it, but I’m crying. I wasn’t prepared for the beautiful poems posted everywhere talking about you. I got really upset afterwards, too. They snapped this picture without my knowledge and put it everywhere. Oh, man was I pissed.”

“More than that time you and I got stuck in the elevator together?” Lance said.

“Oh yeah, way more. Like, Prince Lotor hitting on you upset.” They both laughed, tensions in the room easing up. Keith turned to look at Lance, remembering how many days he had spent memorising his face, the swoop of his nose, the light circles under his eyes, when they were younger. When things were different. He sighed. 

“Lance, before anything else happens, I just wanna say I’m sorry.” He said, “I shouldn't have gone off like that. It's not like it was your fault.” 

Lance shook his head. “No, don't. It's alright, I'd probably have acted the same way. It doesn't matter, anyhow. I'm here now.” He reached over and put his hand on Keith's knee and squeezed it gently. 

Shiro cleared his throat from the back of the room. Everyone turned, and Lance’s face lit up instantly. “Shiro!” He jumped up, leaving Keith and Hunk behind to give him a hug. “I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost again.” Lance joked. 

Shiro smiled. “Nope, can't get lost again even if I tried. Matt put a tracking device in my arm.” They pulled apart laughing. Then Shiro’s face fell a little, something that would have gone unnoticed if Lance had been standing right in front of him. 

“What's wrong?” He asked. Shiro sighed. 

“Don't take this the wrong way, I'm happy you're alive and here, but how? And why now?” Shiro asked the question that everyone else had been afraid to. 

Lance cocked his head. “I'm sorry, what do you mean?” 

“I mean, why did you show up now? We searched for you for a couple weeks and didn't find anything. There was no sign of any type of wreckage from Blue, no sign of your tracker.” Shiro elaborated. “It's a little hard to believe that you were floating around in orbit all these years and just now fell to Earth, since we would've found you. Where were you?” 

Lance shook his head. “I'm sorry Shiro, but I honestly don't know. I mean, one minute I was flying inside of blue, the next I was waking up here in the future…” 

Matt and Pidge looked up and made eye contact at the same, as if coming to some shared conclusion. They immediately started having one of their ‘Sibling Conversations’, talking over one another. 

“Do you think…” Matt started.

“...it's not impossible…” Pidge interjected. 

“I mean, if he…”

“...that explosion…”

“...physics and wormholes…”

“...explain the lack of wreckage…”

“...going fast enough…”

“...never been tested…”

“...magical Lion?”

“...speed and acceleration…”

“...luck and that reactor…”

“...could it?”

“YES!” They both yelled at the same time. Keith jumped, caught off guard by the sudden outburst. He looked around, glad to see everyone else looked just as lost as he did. 

“What now?” Shiro said, raising an eyebrow at the siblings who were now spinning around the room and jumping for joy. “Will someone please explain what's going on?”

They stopped Mid Spin. Matt glanced at Pidge, who nodded. “We know what happened to Lance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... what did happen to Lance? Tune in next time to find out! Thanks for reading! -XO, T


	4. Chapter 4

There was silence for a moment, with Matt’s words seeming to reverberate off the walls and all around them.  _ We know what Happened to Lance _ . Keith was on his feet in a heartbeat, moving closer to the siblings. Everyone else stood frozen, letting the words sink in. Finally, Hunk broke the spell.

“What do you mean ‘we know what happened’?” Hunk asked, furrowing his brow. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

“Well…” Matt looked at Pidge. “Do you want to explain?” 

Pidge nodded, their eyes gleaming with excitement. “We know Lance flew into the reactor core. That's a fact, we all saw it happen with our own two eyes. But-”

“-if he was going fast enough, and hit it at the right angle when the reactor core exploded-” Matt cut in. 

“-Then the blast from the reaction, plus the magic of the Lion’s-”

“-might have been enough to propel Lance-”

“-forward. Not forward, as in physically forward, but forward as in forward in  _ time _ .” Pidge finished. Matt wrapped his arm tightly around his sibling’s shoulders, a proud smile on his face. 

“And to think, all it took was Lance saying the word ‘future’ for it to click in my genius protégé’s mind!” Matt boasted. Pidge’s cheeks went red from embarrassment, but they smiled and let their brother gush about them without protest. 

“Time Travel?” Lance’s eyes went wide. “You mean, I really did come from the past to the future?” 

Pidge nodded. “It's the only explanation we have that would work. If you were floating out in space somewhere, we would have picked up on your beacon sometime in the past twenty years. Or we would have seen some wreckage.” 

“It would also explain that disturbance Allura and Coran detected. They said they'd never seen anything like it before,” Hunk said, the information clicking like the last piece of a puzzle inside his head. “Wow Lance, looks like you finally beat Keith at something. First man to travel through time!” 

That should have made Lance smile. Instead, Keith thought it just made him look like he had just eaten something nasty and couldn't get the taste out of his mouth. Lance faked a smile. 

“Oh yeah baby! I'm the first!” He said. His voice was flat, and sounded forced. He stretched his arms high above his head and yawned. “Now I know it doesn't seem that way but I haven't slept in twenty years. I'm beat. I think I'm gonna go turn in for the night. It's been a long day of making history!” Lance excused himself and practically ran out of the room

Keith knew something was up. Lance was never one to miss an opportunity to gloat. “I'm tired too. I think I'm going to turn in…” Keith hurried off after Lance’s retreating form, not letting anyone else interject. 

He followed Lance as he turned down a couple different hallways, eventually finding the door to the roof. Keith pushed it open gently, and let the cool night hair wash over him. He stepped out into the well lit darkness. He hadn't realised so much time had passed. He scanned the roof, eyes coming to rest upon Lance’s back. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the city streets below. 

Keith walked over and sat down next to Lance. He stared down at the streets below. Stragglers from that day’s celebrations still lined the trash covered streets, drunk and singing at the top of their lungs. Same old people doing the same old stupid things.

“The city looks so foreign,” Lance said in a low voice, breaking the stillness of the quiet rooftop air. “A lot changes in twenty years.”

“A lot stays the same too, you know.” Keith offered, trying to reassure him. 

“Doesn't seem like it. I just-” he sighed. “Keith, I don't know what to think. I mean, one minute we're all fighting the galra, the next I'm here in the future. I look around me, and I don't recognise anything. The buildings, the holidays- all of it’s changed.”

Keith looked at Lance. He could see the hurt plastered all over his face, the sense of not knowing what, of uncertainty. He wanted to reach out, pull Lance into his arms and kiss him, tell him everythings ok. But he stopped himself. This wasn't his Lance; or rather, it was his Lance. But he wasn't Lance’s Keith, not anymore.

Lance looked up at the stars, the lights from the city glistening off the tears that were staining his cheeks. “I'm like Captain America, Keith. Except this is so much worse.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, moving himself closer to Lance. 

“When Cap woke up, it was almost 100 years later. He didn't have to watch his friends age without him. I mean, there was Peggy, but that was different.” Lance sighed, a pitiful, mournful sigh. “When I closed my eyes, everyone was young. Hunk and Shay had just gotten engaged. You and I…” he trailed off, not finishing the thought. He turned to look at Keith, their eyes meeting in a desperate way. 

“When I opened my eyes, suddenly all of you are older, changed. Twenty years might have passed for you, but for me it was a matter of seconds. I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel about this, Keith.” His voice cracked as he choked on his words. “I mean, I’m still in love with you, but you aren't  _ you _ , at least the way I remember you.” A sob sneaked out of his mouth, and Keith could see him shaking from the power of more of them. “I didn’t even recognize you when I first saw you. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Pretend like nothing has changed for me, run away and never look back? I just- I never could’ve- what am I going to do?” 

The more Lance tried to work it out, tried to express himself, the more jumbled up and confused he was becoming. He started to break down in front of Keith, who wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. 

Keith’s head was spinning from what Lance had just said. _ I'm still in love with you _ . The words felt like a hot iron burning into Keith's chest. Of course Lance still loved him, he realised. They were still dating last Lance remembered, and since no time had passed for him, that still made that statement true. In a way. It made Keith feel sick, knowing he was part of the problem Lance was having, and that there was nothing he could do to fix it. To fix him. 

Keith reached out and wrapped his arms around Lance’s shaking form, clutching him to his chest as he sobbed. “Lance, I can't imagine what it's like for you. I’ve dreamed of you coming home to me for twenty years, never imagining it could really happen or that it would happen like this.”  _ Because I'm still in love with you too _ , he wanted to scream. But he doesn't. “I don't know what to say to make you feel better. I don't even know what to say to you at all, because you're still  _ you _ . And I promise you, we're still us. We just look a little different, that's all.” 

Keith knew he didn't say the right thing. What does one even say in a situation like this? ‘ _ Hey I know it's been twenty years but I still love and you still love me, and even though you're 25 still and I'm now 45, we should totally get together and live out our dreams’ _  That wouldn't go over well. 

But that's all Keith wanted to say. He found himself thinking back before the Return, when the two of them would cuddle together on the couch for hours in silence, just needing to touch each other. When they were never apart, and Hunk would joke that if they were any closer together they would eventually melt together into one superhero. Waking up in the early morning light, limbs intertwined beneath thin sheets, watching Lance’s peaceful sleeping form. 

All these emotions came rushing back too- the immense love he felt seeing Lance laugh with his mouth full of popcorn as they watched some random comedy. The fear in his heart he felt watching Lance mouth “I love you” through the window of his spaceship. And the overpowering pain he felt when they called It. Keith felt his eyes tearing up, and he sniffled a little, the noise unnoticed by Lance as he continued to sob.

“I-” he catches himself before he says it. “I know it'll be an adjustment.”

“That's an understatement.” Lance sniffled, reaching up and wiping his face with the back of his hand. 

“-But I want you to know we'll be here every step of the way to support you. We love you,”  _ I love you _ , “and we'll do whatever it takes to make you comfortable.” 

He felt Lance nod against his chest. “Thank you,” he whispered after a few moments. 

They spent hours just sitting there in silence. After a while, Keith noticed Lance had fallen asleep. He probably should’ve woken Lance up, but he didn’t want this to end. Instead he pulled his jacket tighter around himself in an attempt to brace himself against the cold. He leaned his head against the top of Lance’s, and closed his eyes, and got the best night of sleep he had gotten in 20 long years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We had a snow day today so I figured why not post a new more Klansty chapter? -XO, T


	5. Chapter 5

“Mornin’, Keith!” Matt yawned into his hand as Keith pulled into the garage of the Altean Embassy on his motorcycle. It had been 6 months since Lance had been found. Keith was the only one not currently living at the embassy. They (meaning Keith and Shiro) had agreed that would work out the best for both his and Lance’s sake. They never talked about breaking up, but it was pretty clear neither side wanted to jump right back into where they had left off. 

Keith parked his motorcycle and took his helmet off, letting his hair fall down into his face again. “Morning Matt. How’s that time machine coming along?” 

Matt lifted up his (third) cup of coffee and smiled. “Awesomely! Pidge and I are going to put the finishing touches on it today. I think this time we could really get it to work!” A small explosion from behind him made both of them jump a little. Smoke started pouring out from the backroom where Matt and Pidge had set up their workshop. Matt sighed. 

“Gotta go- duty calls!” He turned and not so subtly ran straight for the room. “Pidge I swear to Shiro’s hot bod if you blew that fuse again…”

Keith laughed. When they came to the conclusion that Lance had indeed traveled in time, the siblings had immediately set off to build a time machine, now that they knew it wasn’t just some fantasy. They had the math worked out within the first week, and were currently on their 5th prototype. 

Keith nonchalantly walked across the garage, tossing his keys playfully in his hands. He reached up and placed them on a hook on the wall before leaving the garage. He walked out into the kitchen, which was surprisingly deserted considering it was so close to lunchtime. Normally Hunk or Shiro would be busy cooking up something tasty, but there was no sign of them. He kept walking, through the living room and into the main control room. 

Shiro and Hunk were standing next to the two control pole things (Hunk had told Keith what they were several times, but he didn’t really care enough to remember). They had pulled up a map of the solar system, and were studying it. 

“What’s going on?” Keith asked, crossing over to stand between them. 

“Notice anything strange about the map?” Shiro asked, not looking at him. 

Keith stared at the map for a moment before shaking his head. “No, what should I be seeing?”

Hunk pointed towards a tiny blinking blip hiding behind Jupiter. “That, there. That’s not been there before, and it appears to be moving towards us.”

“Any idea as to what it might be?” Keith asked, staring at the blip. 

Shiro and Hunk looked at each other. “Not yet,” Shiro confessed. “But we’re going to be keeping an eye on it until we do. Truthfully, it’s probably Allura and Coran. We haven’t had any contact with them in a couple days, and they said they’d be heading back to earth to bring us the Lions.”

“I can’t wait to see Red again.” Keith smiled. “Do you guys know where Lance is? We’re supposed to have a training session this morning…”

“He’s probably already in the arena. Go have fun!” Shiro said. Keith made it halfway to the door before Shiro called after him. “Wait! Keith, one last thing.” Keith paused and turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. Shiro’s face was void of emotion. “Don’t tell Lance about this, alright? We don’t want him to worry.” Keith nodded in agreement before continuing on his way. 

He found Lance already in the training hall, just as Shiro had said he would be. It was obvious by the fact Lance was covered in sweat and had already discarded his shirt that he had been there for a while. Keith leaned against the doorframe and watched as Lance went through fluid exercises with his bayard- ducking, leaping, twirling in a dangerous blur of motion. A small smile tickled his lips as he watched Lance perform a new combo move he had just taught him the day before, perfectly decapitating a nearby robot. 

“Hey Lance!” Keith called, moving further into the room. “Nice moves, but if you work yourself any harder you won’t have enough strength left in you to beat up a Girl Scout!” 

Lance swiveled on his feet, shooting at a robot on the far edge of the room as he turned to face Keith with a huge grin on his face. “Maybe not a girl scout, but I can take you any day Old Man!”

Keith would be lying to himself if he believed their new found friendship wasn’t a bit strained, but hey, it was better than nothing. He and Lance met up everyday to train together, just like they used to do, and their playful banter had started to return. Keith pulled his bag off of his shoulder and threw it down against the wall. He pulled his blade off of his belt and threw it, watching it land with a dull  _ thud _ in a robot that had been sneaking up behind Lance. 

“Who are you calling old?” He turned his face towards the ceiling. “Simulation off!” 

The last three remaining robots powered themselves off with a beep, and Lance lowered his bayard. He reached down and pulled the knife out of the robot and offered it, hilt first, to Keith. 

“You could’ve just told me there was a ‘bot behind me, instead of trying to give me a new haircut.” He joked as Keith took the blade.  

“But what’s the fun in that?” Keith winked, and Lance stuck his tongue out in a childish response. “You looked good out there. I forgot how fast of a learner you are.”

Lance smiled. “Thanks, but are you really surprised?” He struck an obnoxious pose and flexed, his arm muscles bulging just ever so slightly. “I AM a picture of human perfection!”

Keith rolled his eyes, and he reached out and shoved Lance’s arms ever so slightly, knocking him off balance and sending him sprawling. “Sure, and I’m the next queen of Altea.”

Lance grumbled as Keith bent over and helped him to his feet. The pair than began their usual training routine. They’d start with bayards, going at each other trying to get a close enough hit on the other person. (Keith won today, throwing a knife that landed within an inch of Lance’s ear.) Then, they would share different techniques and Keith would teach Lance a new move. (Today’s move- the Swinging Galra.) Finally, they would move to hand to hand combat, which Lance normally won because of how out of practice Keith was. 

Keith landed on his back with a loud  _ ompf _ as Lance managed to pin him for the third time. “Ha! And you said I couldn’t take down a girl scout,” Lance said with a smile, looming over him with his hands on Keith’s shoulders, holding him to the ground. “Give up yet?”

“Never,” Keith growled, as he used his legs to kick Lance off of him. 

In an instant he was up and was straddling the boy as he struggled to get up. He moved his face down closer to Lance, until there was only a few inches between them. He could feel the younger one’s chest heaving underneathe him, a reminder of how hard they had been pushing themselves that day. Keith smiled at Lance’s flustered look. 

“You done yet?” He taunted with a smirk. 

Lance mumbled something that Keith couldn’t make out before he spoke. “ugh can you get off me? Your massive body is crushing meeee.” He whined. 

“What’s that? Use my body to crush you?” Keith said, pressing himself further down onto his chest, putting all his weight onto Lance.

“Alright alright Uncle, Uncle! You win,” he sputtered, gasping as Keith rolled off of him to lie next to him on the floor. “Can’t believe I made such a rookie mistake, forgetting to pin your legs!” He laughed, throwing his arms dramatically to the side and whacking Keith in the face. 

“Hey watch it or I’ll crush you again!” Keith joked, pushing his arm off. “And honestly? That mistake was one not even a rookie would’ve made.” 

They laughed, the sound of it filling to room and lightening the heavy sweaty air. Keith rolled over onto his side to face Lance. “Honestly though, you did really good today. I’m glad we started doing this again.”

“Yeah, me too. Helps me forget about this for a little bit…” Lance turned his head to look at Keith. “It makes me m-”

Lance never got to finish his sentence because Hunk came barreling into the room, eyes wide and full of something that Keith had never wanted to see on his friend’s face again.  _ Fear.  _ “Command room. Now.” 

Keith felt his stomach flip. No comments about how the two of them were an arm away from cuddling? Or how they honestly smelled worse than a pair of wet dogs? Something really had to be wrong to make Hunk this upset. 

“We’d uh, we’d better get going.” Keith sat up, running his hands through his sticky hair. “Lucky for you, I brought spray on deodorant in my bag.”

He reached over and grabbed the strap of the duffel bag, rummaging around inside of it until he felt his hands wrap around the familiar cylinder. He pulled it out and threw it at Lance, who had stood up to retrieve his shirt. He caught it easily, and turned it over in his hands to read the label. He looked up at Keith and pulled a face. 

“Axe? Really? Now we’re going to smell like some douchebag tweens!” He complained, pulling the lid off to sniff it. 

Keith shrugged his shoulders. “Look at it this way- at least you’ll smell better than normal!” He laughed as he lunged to the side to avoid being hit in the face by Lance’s shirt.

5 minutes and a can of body spray later, Keith and Lance walked out and joined the rest of the team who were crowded around the map looking at the blip Shiro and Hunk had found earlier that day. 

“What’s up?” Keith asked, striding over to join the others. 

“Remember what we showed you this morning? Well, it’s definitely moving, and fast. It’s almost around Mars.” Hunk pointed at the blip’s new location. Keith followed his finger with his eyes, and sure enough he could just make out the blip moving. 

“So it is a ship then.” Shiro said, crossing his arms across his chest. “What kind of ship?” 

“I can hack into some satellite feeds and see if I can find a good image,” Pidge volunteered. Hunk shook his head. 

“There’s no need for that. We have our own satellite up there, I can pull up images from that.” He pressed a small button on the left control panel. “Gimme just a second…” 

An imagine of space popped up in front of them. In the corner Keith could just make out the outline of Mars. Otherwise, there was nothing unusual about the screen in front of them. 

“Well? Where is it?” Shiro said. 

“Honey,” Matt said, snaking his arm around his waist. “It’s on the far side of Mars. It’s hidden for the moment, just give it a second.”

They all waited with baited breathe. Keith couldn’t take his eyes off of the blinking blip as it moved closer and closer to Mars, and then finally, started moving around the planet. The image in front of them didn’t appear to change for several minutes, but then they saw it. 

“Oh my god…” Pidge said, taking their glasses off to wipe them on their shirt and replacing them precariously on their nose. 

“It- it can’t be…” Hunk said, trailing off in disbelief. 

Only Matt was able to shake off the shock of it all long enough to speak. He turned to face Lance, who was frozen in place. “It looks like you’re not the only one who jumped forward in time.” he said in a deadpan voice. Because there, in front of them, was a huge ship everyone of them recognized. The Galra Battleship they had faced that fateful day. The one Lance had supposedly destroyed. The one that played itself again and again in Keith’s nightmares. 

“Fuck.” Keith swore. This was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Evil? only a little... -XO, T


	6. Chapter 6

“We need to call Allura and Coran NOW.” Shiro commanded, shaking his head to clear his mind. No one moved. He leaned over and lightly pushed Hunk, snapping him out of it. “Hunk. Call Allura.”

“Er, yes, yes. Right.” Hunk looked down and started typing away onto the panels. “Ok, calling Allura…” 

They waited in silence as the call rang and rang, but no one answered. “Shit, there must be some interference in the atmosphere, let me try again…” Hunk said, pressing a couple more buttons. They tried calling 3 or 4 more times before Matt finally stepped in. 

“It’s no use, they aren’t picking up. We have to assume something’s happened to them. We’re on our own.” Matt smiled in a thinly veiled attempt to lighten the mood. “Besides, who’s to say they’re even coming here?”

The panel on the right beeped loudly, grabbing Keith’s attention. “What’s that mean?” he asked, pointing at a flashing button. 

“We just got a video message, a prerecorded one.” Hunk clicked and a video popped up in front of them. A galra’s face filled the screen. 

“ _ Citizens of Earth. _ ” The Galra’s voice boomed.  _ “I am General Slaxet of the High Command. You have all been convicted of treason to the Galra empire in the form of harboring known Galra enemies, the Paladins of Voltron. As punishment for your crimes, you have all been sentenced to death. You have 5 minutes to say your goodbyes.” _

The video feed cut out, and the paladins stood there in shock. “You just had to go and say it, didn’t you,” Pidge said, turning on Matt. 

“Hey! Don’t try and blame this on me, I’m not a criminal of the Galra empire!” He shot back. 

Hunk cleared his throat. “Actually, you are technically because you broke outta Galra prison…” 

“STAY OUT OF IT!” Matt and Pidge yelled in unison. 

“HEY! Cut it out!” Shiro said, pushing himself between the siblings. “This isn’t getting us anywhere! We need to come up with a plan, something to save everyone.”

“What can we do, Shiro? We don’t have any spaceships! The Lions are offworld, out of contact! We don’t even have any fighter ships here at the base!” Hunk said. 

Keith stood there in the back, watching as everyone started arguing.  He turned to look at Lance, who had gone completely pale. “Lance, hey, are you ok?”

“They… this is all my fault,” he whispered, a tear trickling down his face. Keith grabbed his shoulders and spun him around til they were face to face.

“No, this is not your fault, I promise you. It’s not like you asked to get put through time, it’s ok.”

Lance shook his head. “If I hadn’t come back, if I had just died like I was supposed to, everyone here wouldn’t be about to die with no hope. Can’t you see, Keith? This is all my fault.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue more when Shiro whistled loudly. Everyone froze, and turned to face the red faced leader. 

“Everybody needs to CALM DOWN. We’re wasting time. We have 3 minutes to come up with a plan, any kind of plan, to get out of this. There is no such thing as a stupid plan.” He said. 

“We could all drink some of that blech we keep under the sink,” Pidge said halfheartedly. 

“That’s a stupid plan.” Shiro said. “Next?”

Nothing. Silence. Keith looked around, scanning everyone’s faces. They didn’t have anything to offer without their Lions. 

“Hunk? Matt? Are you sure there aren’t any ships here? Any at all?” Shiro asked, trying to find something to cling too. 

“No, there’s nothing here but-” Matt stopped mid sentence, his finger in midair. 

“What? What is it?” Shiro said, moving closer towards him. 

“The time machine.” Matt said. “But it’s still a prototype, there’s no promises it’ll work…” 

“It’s our only shot.” Shiro said. 

They all ran to the garage, past Keith’s beloved motorcycle and into the shed. The time machine was covered by a single grey sheet to protect it from dust and dirt. Pidge pulled it off in one fluid motion. Keith gasped. 

The time machine was simply beautiful- it was red and blue, and looked like space ship from the original Star Wars movies, sleek and slim. The cover of the cockpit was lifted up, allowing Keith to see the two seats inside. 

“We call her Tammy,” Pidge said. “She should work, we hope.”

“You hope?” Hunk said, eyeing the ship suspiciously. 

“Well, like I said, we never tested it. But we need to think fast. There’s only two seats, and we’ve got a minute left.” Matt said. 

“I think Keith and Lance should go,” Shiro said. Keith’s eyes almost bugged out of his skull. 

“What? But Shiro-” the older man shook his head. 

“No, Keith. Don’t argue with me. It has to be you two, because you’re the best pilot out of all of us, and Lance because he’s the best fighter.” He explained. 

Keith’s eyes started to water as he looked into his oldest and dearest friend’s eyes. “But, Shiro, you’ll die…” 

Shiro smiled, and Keith could tell he was trying his hardest not to cry either. “No, I won’t, because you two are going to go back in time far enough and stop any of this from ever happening. You’re going to save us.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue again but found himself being pushed by Hunk into the pilot’s seat. Hunk strapped him in next to Lance, and then stepped back to let Matt explain how the ship works. 

“Alright Keith, here’s the button to go back in time, here’s the start button, here’s where you input the time… otherwise, it’s a normal ship.” Matt pointed to a bunch of different buttons, moving in a blur. 

“When should we-” Keith asked, but Matt stopped him. 

“I already preset a time far enough back to make a difference. Good luck, Keith. You're our only hope.” 

“30 seconds!” Pidge yelled from the back of the pack. “You have to go NOW!” 

Matt slammed the cockpit cover down over the two men and took several giant steps back. Keith instantly started going through the standard take off routine. He frantically pressed buttons and threw switches. He risked a glance at Lance and realized he was frozen in shock. He rolled his eyes. 

“Lance! Press those buttons, flip that switch,” he directed, “And hang on tight!” Keith closed his eyes and pressed the bright green button. 

Everything blurred around them. The Hanger, his friends- everything but Lance. It was the weirdest feeling Keith had ever known- he knew logically they were moving, but it felt like they were standing still. He had also thought it was strange. It seemed to take several minutes, and wasn’t completely instantaneous. Keith watched as a bright light approached from in front of them, and he closed his eyes as it enveloped them and then=

-and then they were floating out in space, not in some hanger back on Earth. Keith blinked open his eyes, still seeing spots swimming in front of his eyes from the pain of the bright light. 

“Where are we?” He asked Lance, before realizing just how stupid of a question that was. 

“I’m not sure, but I do know when we are.” Lance pointed at a small analog clock set back in the middle of the dashboard. Keith felt his heart jump up into his throat, because he recognized the date.  _ 06/21/2035. _ The day of the Return.

“No wonder Matt picked this date,” Keith grumbled. Of course they’d come back here. Couldn’t pick something nice and easy like sending them back 6 months. Nope, had to go twenty fucking years. 

“Well at least the time machine works,” Lance said, “But it’s no use knowing when we are if we don’t know where we are… Keith. Look.”

Keith looked up from examining the dashboard, following Lance’s gaze until he saw it. His eyes went wide. There it was- the giant Galra fleet that they had fought all those years ago. He could see the Lions dancing around the ships, twisting and turning in between different ships. 

“No…” he whispered to himself. He tore his eyes away from the battle to frantically search for a watch or a clock or something. 

“What are you doing?” Lance asked, looking at him as if he had two heads. 

“I need to know what time it is!” He explained briefly. 

“Why?”

“Because you fly into the Galra ship at 3:46 pm. We have to stop you, or rather, old You, from doing that…” Keith said, pulling out a watch from the glove department. “Aha!”  _ 3:30 pm.  _

“Shit we don’t have much time, we have to get in there and think of a plan!” Keith grabbed the steering wheel and the time machine took off, flying swiftly towards the middle of the fray. Within moments they’re in the heat of the battle, ion beams shooting past them dangerously close. Keith anticipated every single movement, swerving left and right to avoid getting hit. 

“Lance! I need you to fire the weapons!” Keith yelled louder than he needed to, caught up in the frenzy of the fight. 

“What weapons, Keith? This wasn’t exactly built for combat, you know!” Lance fired back equally loud. 

That’s when it dawned on Keith- they were sitting ducks. Lance was right- the time machine had been built as just that- a time machine. Not a weapon to be used in the heat of a battle. Pidge and Matt had become pacifists after the Return, so they wouldn’t have added any weapons even if they had thought of it. As Keith dodged another blast from a galra ship, he risked a glance at the watch. 

_ 3:40 pm.  _  They had 6 minutes. 

“We have to find your lion!” Keith said right as an ion blast connected with one of their wings. It forced his head to slam back against the head of the seat with a dull  _ thwack _ . He blinked, trying to get rid of the black spots that danced in front of his eyes. 

“Keith…” Lance started, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Come on Lance, I’m fine.” he lied. His head was definitely not ok- those damn spots kept swimming at the edge of his vision. “Think, where were you right before you…”

“Keith…”

“No, Lance, we just have to-”

“KEITH!” He froze at Lance’s unexpected outburst. He twisted his head to look at the boy tucked in next to him, and he noticed tears straining lines on his cheeks.  

“Keith, Listen to me. There’s not enough time. We could never catch up with old me, especially not with such a critical hit…” Lance’s voice had grown soft and quiet. “I-I think you know what has to be done.”

Lance’s words sunk in deep, hitting Keith like a ton of bricks. It rattled around inside his throbbing head, and settled onto his heart like an elephant. The worst part was, Lance was right. He knew exactly what he had to do to save them all. A part of him had always known. 

Despite the smoke coming from the hit on the wing and the screeching of the ship, he managed to turn it so that it was pointed directly at the heart of the battle- the main reactor core of the Battleship. With the flick of a couple of switches, he was able to divert all power into the forward thrusters. The ship shot forward, locked on target. Nothing could stop them now. 

_ 3:43 pm. _

The watch glared at them, taunting them as it ticked away the moments until their demise. Keith settled back into the seat, taking his hands off of the locked wheel as they speed closer and closer to the core of the ship. He stared at the brilliant white ball of fire, admiring its deadly beauty. He had known deep in his heart that this adventure would be his last, and now that they were minutes away from death, he felt strangely content. His hand inched across the seat next to him until it met Lance's, and he grabbed it tightly. 

“You know, I always knew it would end like this. You and me, together on some crazy-ass mission to save the universe. The time machine was a surprise though,” Lance chuckled, breaking the silence. Keith turned his head to lock eyes with him.  “Keith, I just want to say, I’m sorry for these last few months. I know it wasn’t what either of us was-”

“Don’t, Lance.” Keith unbuckled his seatbelt and moved closer to him, until their legs were pressing against each other. “These past few months have been everything I could have ever hoped for. You have no idea how much or how long I had wished for the chance to see you again, to be able to hear your voice saying my name again. And Lance, I just, I have to say-”

He pulled away from the boy far enough to look into his deep blue eyes. Blue like the sea, like his secret favorite color, like happiness and bliss. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the reactor looming closer and closer with every second. It was now or never. 

“Lance, I love you. I've loved you since the very beginning, since we first met in the Academy, and then again when you showed up on the hill. I will never stop loving you."

Lance didn't hesitate- he reached up and gently grabbed Keith's chin and kissed him. It was just how Keith had remembered it- Lance's soft lips dancing against his own, passionate but sweet at the same time. Lance pulled away all to soon, ending the moment of sheer bliss. He leaned his forehead against Keiths, and whispered, "I've never stopped loving you either."

Lance pulled Keith into a hug, wrapping his long arms around Keith's body as he pressed him tightly against his chest, as if he were somehow trying to make them into the same person. Keith closed his eyes, marveling in how after all this time Lance still smelled the same- a mix of aftershave, Axe deodorant (he didn't think they made that anymore?) and like an array of spices. Lance rested his head on top of Keith's and pressed a small kiss into the top of his head. 

For the first time since he could remember, Keith was actually happy. He felt Lance's arms tighten around him in a final goodbye as the watch beeped next to his head and they were surrounded by a blinding white light. 

_ 3:46 pm.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not a lot that I'm good at, but I am really good at angsty stuff. There's one final chapter tho that's pure fluff to make up for this disaster so please don't hate me too much.


	7. Chapter 7

_ 20 Years Later- 06/21/2055 _

Keith was sitting on the couch in his living room. The curtains were tied back over the windows, allowing the sparkling clean room to be filled with bright sunlight. He could hear the excited cheers from the crowd in the streets far below him, celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of the Lions. He smiled, reveling in the joy radiating from outside and knowing that he was partially responsible for it. 

“Honey, are you almost ready to go?” His husband, Lance, called out. He stuck his head out from their bedroom down the hall, his hair sticking up in several places. “Hunk will never let us live it down if we’re late to this…”

Keith chuckled. “There’s a lot Hunk won’t let us live down. Remember that time he came to rescue us after we got stranded on that tropical planet?”

Lance’s ears turned red. “I thought we agreed never to speak of the Missing Trunk incident! Hunk still refuses to go to the beach with me…” he trailed off as he retreated back into the bedroom to finish putting on his Paladin armour. 

Keith laughed, tilting his head back and letting his slick black hair brush against his neck. “Oh you know you wouldn’t change a thing.” He teased. “And don’t worry, I’m almost ready- I’ve just gotta finish putting on my boots.” 

He reached down and pulled on the final piece of his armour. Even though the job of Paladin had been passed on to a younger generation not long after the Battle of the Lions, Allura and Coran had let every member of the original team keep a set of the their armour for formal occasions like this one where they were representing the team and the galaxy. 

“Perfect! Now if I could just get my hair to stay down…” Lance murmured, coming out of their shared bedroom trying to smooth down his impossible hair. 

Keith stood up and crossed over to his husband and grabbed his wrist. He smiled. “Don’t- it’ll just get messed up by the wind and your helmet. Besides, you look so hot this way.” He leaned in and pressed a light kiss onto his soft lips. 

“Mhmmmm,” Lance hummed into his lips. “Alright then. You’ve convinced me.”

Keith pulled away, marveling at how lucky he was. Not only had he managed to marry the love of his life after nearly losing him to that explosion, but neither had appeared to age. Both worked out regularly, maintaining their well built, lean Paladin bodies. Besides a sprinkling of wrinkles around their laugh lines, no one would be able to tell how old the duo was. 

“What are you thinking about?” Lance asked softly, his blue eyes searching Keith’s face.   

“Nothing important- just how much I love you.” 

“Ugh, why are you such a sap. I liked you better when you were young and full of  angry emo angst.” Lance wrinkled his nose in fake disgust as he pushed past Keith. “Now come one, we’re gonna be late.”

“Hey I wasn’t that full of angst… at least I never went out and got Earth tattooed on my ass because I was homesick!” Keith snapped back as he grabbed his keys off of the nearby countertop. He raced to follow his husband out the door and down the steps into the garage, where his baby, a purple motorcycle he had built himself, was sitting freshly polished. Lance was already seated with his helmet on, waiting impatiently for him to hurry up. 

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled jokingly as Keith slid onto the cushioned seat of the motorcycle in front of him. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around Keith’s torso, pressing himself tightly up against his back. “Now, please don’t do anything too reckless while we’re in uniform, we want to leave the people with the impression that we’re responsible adults.”

Keith gasped in faux disbelief. “Me? Reckless? Never.” He responded before he pressed the button that opened the garage door. As soon as the door was high enough for them to squeeze under, he shot off, speeding down the sidewalks to avoid the crowded streets. He took them down back alleys, making tight turns that made Lance squeal and squeeze him tighter. He laughed, enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping through his hair and against his body, the sense of freedom so strong and pure within him. 

“I thought we agreed not to be reckless!” Lance screamed in his ear as Keith took a particularly risky turn. “This is too reckless!”

“You agreed- and I choose not to listen!” Keith laughed as he went over a small curb, flying in the air for a split second. 

“Dammit Keith!” Lance swore as Keith laughed loudly, having the time of his life. 

It was over all too quickly- within 10 minutes Keith was pulling up behind a barrier set up in Central Park. He parked the motorcycle, he and Lance both getting off in tandem. 

“You know I hate it when you drive like that,” Lance complained as he took off his helmet. Keith had been right- Lance’s hair was way worse now than it had been back at their apartment. 

Keith licked his hand and set to work trying to smooth it down a little as he responded. “If you don’t like how I drive, I guess you’ll either have to learn to drive yourself or walk everywhere.” 

“The only thing I hate more than your driving is my driving,” Lance grumbled, swatting Keith’s hand away from his head. “Come on- we’re late.”

Keith smirked as Lance started off towards the platform. He waited two seconds before he started run, passing Lance quickly. “Race you!”

“Hey no fair! You gave yourself a head start!” Lance called after him, racing to catch up. 

The rest of the team was already there, smiling and sitting in a long row with two empty seats in the middle for Keith and Lance. Matt and Shiro were busy talking to Allura and Coran, who had taken time off from their ambassador jobs to spend some time on Earth visiting. Shay and Hunk were sitting next to Pidge, and Hunk kept saying things that made Pidge cackle loudly and Shay blush. 

Keith reached the steps leading up to the platforms just before Lance did. He grinned at his husband. “I win.”

“No, you cheated.” Lance said, winking as he pushed past him to climb up the stairs. 

“I think you mean ‘played to win’” Keith smirked. 

Lance ignored him, his attention stolen by their friends. Specifically by one of their friends. 

“Hunk!” Lance cried, deafening Keith. 

“Lance!” Hunk threw himself from his chair, previous conversation forgotten, and tackled his best friend. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, laughing. “It’s been so long, my dude!”

“Didn’t you just see him last night?” Shay asked from her seat, a smile threatening to creep its way across her face as she watched the pair struggle to get up.

Hunk nodded. “Yeah, but it seems like it’s been an eternity!” He started to pet Lance’s hair as they all laughed. Keith helped both men to their feet, snickering as they brushed the dirt off their armour. 

“Hurry up you guys- the ceremony is about to start!” Shiro chastised, the twinkle in his eyes betraying his disapproving look.  

The trio walked up the short three steps to their seats, and sat down still giggling. Allura sighed before standing up and walking over to a podium set up in the center of the stage. The small sea of reporters, camera men, and Pidge’s students (who were told they would get extra credit if they showed up) all went quiet as she raised her arm. 

“Good morning, everyone!” Allura spoke into a microphone, her voice loud and slightly distorted. Keith settled back in his seat, leaning over slightly to rest his head on Lance’s shoulder as she continued. 

“I’m so glad all of you were able to come out today. As you all know, today is the 20th anniversary of the Return, the fearsome finale battle between the paladins and the Galra.”

She paused as the crowd clapped and cheered for a moment before continuing on. “That day was one that shall live in infamy. Our beloved Blue Paladin, Lance, was almost killed in the explosion. If he had been, we wouldn’t have learned about the true heros of that day. The two unknown soldiers who, after realizing their ship had been damaged beyond repair, sacrificed themselves by flying into the main reactor core of the Battleship, triggering an explosion that destroyed the entire Galra fleet.”

“We are gathered here today to remember and honor those two brave, unknown souls whose names have been lost to history, but shall live on as heros in our hearts and in this statue.” Allura reached over and tugged on the trap. It came away easily to reveal a silver statue of the ship the two fighters had been flying before they sacrificed themselves. An inscription beneath it read: 

“You don’t have to have a name to be the greatest hero this world has ever known.”

Keith reached down and grabbed Lance’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. He hated hearing that story because it reminded him of how he’d felt that day. It reminded him about the the pain and the fear he had had in his heart for the 3 hours when they couldn’t find Lance, the way his heart sank when they did find Blue floating apparently lifeless out past mars. But it also reminded him of the relief he had felt when they had pulled Lance, unconscious but unharmed, out of the cockpit and placed him into a healing pod. It reminded Lance of the way he kissed him once he became conscious again, asking him to marry him beneath a barrage of hugs, sobs, and kisses. And most of all, it reminded Keith of just how blessed he was to have such a wonderful man in his life who loved him.

He leaned over and whispered in Lance’s ear, “I love you.”

Lance smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head before whispering back, “I love you too.”

And Keith was happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaannnnddd that's it! Thank you so much for reading, I'm both sorry and yet not sorry for the emotional piece that this is. I hope you guys enjoyed it. XOXO, T


End file.
